Human papilloma virus 16/18: Fabricator of trouble in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

AIM: To find out the association between Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) genotypes 16/18 in Pakistani patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). METHODS: DNA from oral rinse of 300 subjects was taken. The subjects included 100 cases with OSCC and 200 controls. Samples were analyzed by both conventional and real time PCR using "HPV consensus Gp5+/Gp6+ and HPV 16, 18 specific primers". RESULTS: Out of 300 persons, 74/300 (25%) were found to be infected with HPV: "46/100(46%) from cases and 74/200(14%) from controls". The distribution was: HPV16, 6/300 (8%): 4/100 (9%) from OSCC group and 2/200 (8%) from controls while HPV 18 was 9/300(12%): 5/100(11%) from cases and 4/200(16%) from controls. Out of 300 subjects, 26(35%) were infected by "both HPV 16/18 (23(50%) from cases and 3(12%) from controls". Persons who were infected with HPV 16&18 had higher chances to develop OSCC as compared to those who didn't have HPV 16/18 (AOR: 21.4, 95% CI: 5.73 - 80.8). CONCLUSION: The exposure to high risk strains of Human papilloma virus (16/18) in combination can be fabricotor of trouble (p<0.001, Adjusted odds ratio; 21.42) in OSCC.

Human papilloma virus and oral lesions in gutka eating subjects in Karachi.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of HPV in eaters of Gutka (betel, areca, lime and tobacco concoction), presenting with oral lesions. STUDY DESIGN: A descriptive study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Ziauddin University Research Laboratory, from February to July 2010. METHODOLOGY: Subjects munching Gutka fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Samples were collected in the form of 20 - 40 ml oral rinse from 262 subjects who were habitual eaters of Gutka after an informed consent. Gentle brushings from the lesion were taken from subjects with the help of a brush at the other end of dental floss and the oral rinse was stored at 4°C until DNA extraction. DNA was extracted and PCR was performed using HPV consensus primers Gp5+/Gp6+. Oral cavity was examined for the presence of ulcer, trismus, sub-mucosal fibrosis, leukoplakia and/or warts. RESULTS: Out of 262 subjects, 42 were females and 220 males with an average age of 27± 10 years. HPV was positive in 47 subjects (17.9%). HPV frequency was 2.7% greater in chewers with more than 10 years of habit compared to less than 10 years. Examination of oral cavity showed 78% presenting with more than one complaint including oral ulcers (25%), rough mucosa (62%), sub-mucosal fibrosis (24%), leukoplakia (20%) and erythroplakia (10.6%). Highest frequency of HPV was observed in erythroplakia (25%). Association between presence of symptoms and HPV shows an ODDS RATIO: ad/bc= 4982/430=11.6. CONCLUSION: Oral lesions caused by constant exposure to Gutka are associated with high frequency of HPV infection, which may be a risk factor for squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity. People should be educated about the consequences of Gutka abuse.

Frequency of high risk human papillomavirus types in squamous cell carcinoma of cervix among women.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of high-risk subtypes of Human papillomavirus (HPV) 16, 18, 31 and 45 in squamous cell carcinoma of cervix (SCC) among women. METHODS: A descriptive study was conducted in the department of Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Ziauddin University Hospital, North Nazimabad, Karachi, Pakistan. A total of fifty formalin-fixed paraffin embedded samples (blocks) of SCC of cervix were collected from two Pathology laboratories through convenience sampling. These blocks were analyzed for presence of HPV and its subtype. DNA was extracted by QIAamp DNA Kit and amplification was done by Polymerase chain reaction (PCR). General primers were used for HPV DNA and HPV genotyping for 16, 18, 31 and 45 was done by using a standard kit. RESULTS: HPV was detected in nine (18%) out of fifty paraffin embedded tissues of squamous cell carcinoma of cervix. Out of the 9 cases that were positive, five (55.6%) were infected with HPV16, while in the rest of the positive samples, the genotype could not be identified in four (44.4%). HPV was not determined in majority (82%) of the samples. CONCLUSION: This study concluded that HPV might not be the major cause of SCC of cervix. There could be other causes among women leading to prevalentHPV types that the study did not look into due to limitations.